Turkey at a Crossroads: Protests, Crackdowns, and the Future of Democracy

The arrest of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu has sparked the largest wave of public protests in Turkey in over a decade, signaling a potential turning point in the country's political trajectory. As the opposition rallies support and President Erdoğan intensifies his crackdown, what lies ahead for Turkish democracy, the Kurdish peace process, and the broader political landscape? MEI Senior Fellow Gonul Tol joins host Alistair Taylor to unpack the growing unrest, the strategic stakes for Erdoğan's ruling coalition, and the mobilization of a new generation of political activists. Recorded April 29, 2025. If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to check out MEI's podcast series, Rethinking Democracy with Gonul Tol (now available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts), and especially Episode 7, "The Protests and Political Crisis Shaping Turkey's Democratic Future."   Further reading: "Turkey Is Now a Full-Blown Autocracy," by Gonul Tol for Foreign Affairs (March 21, 2025)